Class AA Semifinal: EP vs. Maple Grove

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Feel like this deserves its own thread.

These two teams have been going at it since squirts. This one could be epic.

My bold prediction: 5-4 Maple Grove in 2 OTs.

[east hockey]

I've got the Eagles by two.

Lee

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Woo boy what a first period. As much as I hate to use a cliche, this is the kind of game where you really miss an arena full of fans.

[SpreadOut!]

If Faber (plays for Gophers in what would be his senior year of high school) and Janicke (playing for NTDP U18 team and would be junior) were still playing for MG, I think they’d win easily. Without them, and with EP “additions” since youth days, I think it’s a coin toss...as 1st period shows.

[SpreadOut!]

I think the deciding factor will likely be power play goals. EP is 1 for 1 right now and MG is 1 for 2 on PP.

[SpreadOut!]

Does Mike Grant lean on hockey refs like he does football officials or something? Just like in section final when EP got a couple powerplay gifts after going down 3-1 to Tonka, refs give EP a powerplay for EP kid slashing an MG player. Jeebus.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

A choppy, whistle-heavy start to that period. The flow picked up late. Jack Wieneke came up huge for Maple Grove.

[BodyShots]

Does Mike Grant lean on hockey refs like he does football officials or something? Just like in section final when EP got a couple powerplay gifts after going down 3-1 to Tonka, refs give EP a powerplay for EP kid slashing an MG player. Jeebus.

That was a complete 180 call. What should have been a MG pp ended up being an EP pp and ending up in their net. Then the make up call to give MG a pp was brutal as well. Do the refs realize they still owe MG another pp to make things equal?

[BodyShots]

Not impressed with MG's defensemen in their own zone. How many times can they get walked to the outside. Then on Blake's pp goal, that de was brutal. I think he had to pick up his jock before heading back to the bench.

[Corn Cobb]

Getting really sick of Lou Nanne continually commenting about how late this game might go. Call it a night and don't come back.

[east hockey]

This game is insane. 5-5 now.

Lee

[TheNightman]

Wieneke looks really shaky.

[BodyShots]

I had a feeling the winner would be on a bad turnover or defensive play by MG. There defense was definitely their weakness.

[TheNightman]

Last goal kind of looked like offsides, no? Why did they not even look at it?

[SpreadOut!]

I feel bad for EP. Whether it’s bad calls from refs, numerous sudden transfers, kids who go from high school to juniors back to high school to juniors again and then back once more to high school mid-season, they just never seem to be able to catch a break. Gross.

[72raidergrad]

I had a feeling the winner would be on a bad turnover or defensive play by MG. There defense was definitely their weakness.

You're "feeling" turned out to be 100% correct. The beginning of the end came when the MG guy over skated the puck. EP guy picked it up, froze the goalie, passed it to the teammate, game over.
I had no skin in this game but wanted Maple Grove to win as was their first time to possibly get to the championship game. Would've been fun to watch them try to avenge their only loss of the season against Lakeville South. As Louie said, was a shame for either team to lose. Easily the best game of the whole tournament so far.

[grindiangrad-80]

Great game to watch. I could watch that all day.

No thread for LVS and Wayzata? That game was awesome too.

I’m impressed with Lakeville. I’m taking them to win it all.

[Getitright]

Agree on the possible offside. I was thinking the same. Not sure if it was reviewed. If not, based on the circumstances it sure should have been.

[bardown27]

Agree on the possible offside. I was thinking the same. Not sure if it was reviewed. If not, based on the circumstances it sure should have been.

Here’s a still shot for the offside/no offside. Looks good.

https://twitter.com/onyxbets/status/137 ... 27553?s=21

[Getitright]

Agree

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

These two teams have been going at it since squirts.

Even Langenbrunner?

[TheNightman]

These two teams have been going at it since squirts.

Even Langenbrunner?

And Hayes??

[SpreadOut!]

These two teams have been going at it since squirts.

Even Langenbrunner?

And Hayes??

One thing about Maple Grove to note: ALL of its players grew up playing Osseo-Maple Grove youth hockey. There are no transfers on the team. In fact, the only “transfers” were kids who left Maple Grove from this group of kids to NTDP and Gophers (Faber), NTDP (Janicke) and Blake (Matzke).

[SpreadOut!]

Agree on the possible offside. I was thinking the same. Not sure if it was reviewed. If not, based on the circumstances it sure should have been.

Here’s a still shot for the offside/no offside. Looks good.

https://twitter.com/onyxbets/status/137 ... 27553?s=21

Yes, it was onsides.

Here’s the slashing penalty called on the MAPLE GROVE player that gave EP powerplay and their second goal. How 4 refs can screw up this badly is mind boggling.

https://twitter.com/followthepuck/statu ... 75909?s=21

[bardown27]

Agree on the possible offside. I was thinking the same. Not sure if it was reviewed. If not, based on the circumstances it sure should have been.

Here’s a still shot for the offside/no offside. Looks good.

https://twitter.com/onyxbets/status/137 ... 27553?s=21

Yes, it was onsides.

Here’s the slashing penalty called on the MAPLE GROVE player that gave EP powerplay and their second goal. How 4 refs can screw up this badly is mind boggling.

https://twitter.com/followthepuck/statu ... 75909?s=21

Can you find a clip of the cross check they called on Hartle that definitely wasn’t a cross check right after that where MG scored on the PP? At the end of the day, MG was 2/3 on the PP and EP was 2/2